Two candidates vying to be Iowa's next secretary of state contrasted their approaches to election issues including voter ID requirements and ballot security in a taping of Iowa Public Television's Iowa Press program Friday.

Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, is seeking a third term after serving in the office for four years in the 1990s and again since 2014.

Democratic nominee Deidre DeJear, a small business owner from Des Moines, is making her first run for the office.

The two filmed the Iowa Press episode Friday afternoon. The show will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. Friday and again at noon on Sunday, Sept. 16 on IPTV. The program is available online at iptv.org.

Voter ID law

One of the first topics discussed on the show was a 2017 voter identification law passed by Iowa's Republican-controlled legislature.

Portions of the law have been put on hold by the Iowa Supreme Court until a lawsuit is resolved, but other parts remain in effect. Iowans will be asked to show an ID at the polls in November but can sign an oath affirming their identity and vote even if they do not bring an ID.

The state's early voting period will be 29 days, down from 40 days in 2016.

Pate said the law is "about protecting what you value" and meant to reassure Iowans of the integrity of the state's voting system. He noted a 2017 Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll that found 69 percent of Iowans support needing an ID to vote.

He said a Democratic gubernatorial primary in June and more than 40 special elections held since the law passed show it hasn't disenfranchised voters.

"Can we do more and increase voter participation? Well, certainly," he said. "But we're not seeing anybody deterred at all. Our voting stats are right where they were before voter ID was passed."

DeJear said only 13 percent of registered voters participated in the June primary and the secretary of state's office under Pate hasn't done an adequate job educating Iowans on how the law change affects their ability to vote.

"It’s important for us to defend our democracy and that means we need each and every eligible voter in our state getting an adequate invitation to participate in the process," she said.

In an interview with the Register after taping the program, she said it's "not the role of the secretary of state" to advocate for the repeal of the voter ID law, but to "make sure people get out to vote."

Pate said his office works with federal authorities including the FBI, National Guard cybersecurity and the Department of Homeland Security to make the system safe and has systems set up to thwart threats.

"One, we don't vote on the Internet. We vote with paper ballot. That's pretty simplistic, but that's a really important part," he said.

DeJear said if elected she would appoint a dedicated director of election security and advocate for more comprehensive audits after each election.

"We have to have the expertise in the office that's not being reactive, but being proactive so that we're defending our vote and we're defending people's voter data because that's something that's so serious and so sacred, and we have to ensure that it's taken care of," she said.

Felon voting rights

Felons in Iowa are barred for life from voting unless they go through an application process with the governor's office to have their voting rights restored after completing their prison sentence.

That's been the case since 2011, when former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad eliminated an earlier executive order allowing for automatic restoration of voting rights for felons who complete their sentences.

Pate said he has worked with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to streamline the application process for voting rights restorations.

"And no, you do not have to have your fine paid off," he said. "You do not have to all your restitution paid. You have to demonstrate you're making progress towards that."

He said he's also worked to update the state's lists so felons who have had their rights restored aren't mistakenly blocked from voting.

DeJear said the state shouldn't ask people who have served their sentences to come back and participate in society but still deny them the right to vote.

"I believe that if someone is exiting prison and it's our expectation that they come back and add value to their communities, that we shouldn't ask them to do that and also take away their right to vote," she said. "Voting is not only a fundamental right, but that's a gateway to civic engagement. That's a gateway to adding value to your community."